One-way video interviews: Everything you need to know!

Elaborate interview procedures that cost your time and money are a thing of the past. With revolutionary technology making an appearance in the hiring market, newer, faster and easier methods to interview and identify the best candidates are the way to go.

One-way interviews are another name for asynchronous interviews, where the entire process of the interviews happens online. The candidate will be required to answer to a set of pre-recorded questions. The responses of the candidate are then recorded and analyzed. If the responses of the candidate match the pre-requisites set by the company, then the candidate is pushed to the next round of interview.

The advantage of asynchronous interviews is the fact that both the parties can bid goodbye to scheduling hassles. With the help of asynchronous interviews, candidates can now take up the interview in the comfort of their home, and at a time that best suits them.

Benefits of one-way interviews:

One-way video interviews are generally utilized at the beginning of the hiring process. One-way interviews come with a horde of advantages:

Remote hiring

Millennial hiring trends have transformed the dynamic of recruiting all over the world. More millennials are offering remote services across multiple organizations. Traveling hassles are no longer an issue with video interviews. Asynchronous interviews are intended to solve any and every problem that arises during communication between two people across different regions. Asynchronous interviews ensure that no one is made to take up interviews at times which isn’t convenient to the other. This is especially helpful for busy hiring managers looking to recruit multiple candidates simultaneously. The recruiter can now take the time to calmly and carefully evaluate the candidate’s responses.

Quick hiring process

Asynchronous interviews help in quick hiring. Imagine a recruiter having to interview 15 candidates simultaneously. The hassle of scheduling and organizing the call leaves little time for the recruiter to analyze the full talent of the prospect. With asynchronous interviews, the recruiter can schedule calls that are feasible for the candidate as well. All the candidate has to do is to respond to the pre-set questions that are set by the recruiter.

Relaxed process

For most candidates who are applying for a job, the interview process can be daunting. Sometimes, stress can come in the way of an effective performance. With one-way interviews, the candidate can take up the interview without having the fear of confrontation or bias. The recruiters can explain to candidates that they can record as many takes as they want and that you’ll only view the final one that they choose to submit. This way, the candidates can rehearse until they’re satisfied with their answers and feel more confident about presenting their best answers.

Effective screening

Asynchronous interviews guarantee a more thorough evaluation of the candidate’s skillsets rather than just screening them according to their job description. A pre-recorded interview helps in digging deeper into the candidate’s analytical skills by asking them questions that are relevant to competencies in their field. For example, people in sales are expected to possess competencies like good communication skills, critical thinking, brand loyalty, etc.

Better workflow

Hiring is usually a process that requires the intervention of multiple recruiters. With asynchronous video interviews, the workflow is streamlined. One-way interviews facilitate collaboration between recruiters at the early stages of the interview. Instead of having to schedule multiple rounds of interview with different recruiters, hiring managers can sit together to analyze the recordings and identify potential very early on, without the hassle of scheduling multiple rounds.

Risks of one-way interviews:

One-way interviews, though highly advantageous, has its share of limitations. Following are the cons of asynchronous video interviews:

Asynchronous interviews are designed to make the candidate as comfortable as possible. However, some candidates may not still be comfortable with talking to a robot. The pressure to perform in front of a machine can hinder the performance of the candidate. To avoid nervousness, the recruiter can make sure that the candidate is familiar with the operation of the software with clear, step-by-step instructions.

Companies, during interviews, use passive mechanisms to promote employee marketing. With one way interviews, the recruiter may lose the chance to explain the company and its culture in detail.

Recruiters try to establish a bond, a real contact during the interview. In a one way interview, the recruiter can lose out on the opportunity to establish a real relationship with a candidate.

Different structures of one-way interviews:

The working structure of an on-demand interview can be different from traditional interviews. Unlike face-to-face interviews, the candidate will be required to answer to pre-recorded questions and will respond to on-screen prompts. To suit different profiles at various stages of the interview, one-way interviews are curated to minimize time and money for both the recruiter and the candidate.

Pre-recorded questions

In this kind of interview, the candidate is presented with a stipulated deadline to answer the question. The average time awarded to answering a question is roughly 3 minutes.

Questions via text

These questions require the candidate to read the question within a set time and respond to it. This tests the agility of the candidate in responding to time-sensitive queries.

Questions that require writing or drawing

This category applies to people looking for creative career prospects like writing or designing When a writer or a designer is hired, he/she is required to present in his/her writing skills on-the-go. These tests generally require outside research. However, the recruiter can track the applicant’s activities as long as the interview browser window is open.

Tests for coders

Jobs in software development test the coding skills of the candidate. One-way video interviews challenge the candidate to code in response to a pre-recorded prompt. The questions asked can be across platforms and different programming languages. The answers are recorded and can be analyzed to understand why the candidate coded his responses the way he did.

Top 5 questions asked in a one-way interview and why you should ask them:

In one-way interviews, it is essential that the recruiter takes time in curating the right questions. The right questions should be formulated in a way that they fill in all the voids of a pre-recorded session. Here are a few popularly asked questions by recruiters in one-way video interviews:

Where do you see yourself in x years?

This question helps the recruiter understand the candidate’s plan to improve his/her career contour in the upcoming years. This helps the recruiter get a deeper insight just into the candidate’s thinking about the future and the goals that he/she is intending to establish. This is a great way to figure out whether the hire is a good culture fit.

Tell me about a project you recently worked on

When the candidate begins to explain his contribution to the project, the recruiter can get a clear idea of the skills that the candidate has gained while working in a group.

If you had a problem posed in front of you, how would you resolve it?

The best way to test the candidate’s decision-making skills and their ability to think on their feet is to actually pose a problem. The candidate’s proactive interest in finding the right solution can prove to make him/her a valuable asset to the organization.

Tell me about a time you failed

The ability to handle failure can sometimes be more important than the ability to handle success. The candidate’s ability to bounce back from a negative experience and their response to failure can be a great way to determine the resilience of the candidate.

Have you had any conflicting thoughts about your workplace earlier?

Most organizations that are hiring candidates go beyond just skill-hunting. The ideal candidate is not just the right fit skill-wise but is also comfortable in the environment he works in. Conflicting cultures can sometimes prove to be a bigger problem in the long run. Hence, it is important to ensure that the candidate is fully aware of the company’s policies and expectations.

How to draft a candidate guide:

One-way interviews are still relatively unpopular as compared to traditional interview methods. Hence, it is important that the candidate is well-informed of how to operate the software before taking up the interview. Recruiters can send out a handy list of things to be followed for candidates before attending.

Here are a few tips to ensure that the candidate can have a smooth interview experience:

The candidate must read and follow all the instructions given during the course of the interview.

The candidate must complete the interview before the deadline set by the recruiter. The candidate can choose to beat the deadline far sooner than the actual date.

The candidate should have their login information handy before the interview. This includes the URL, login ID and possibly a password that will be assigned to him/her.

The candidate is advised to make sure if he/she has the right devices for the interview to be feasible. In a few cases, the candidate’s device may not be compatible or may experience glitches during login/registration.

The candidate is advised to be thorough with his/her resume. Sometimes, questions can be asked to test the candidate’s understanding of their previous experience.

It is suggested that the candidate chooses a location that does not disturb/hinder their concentration during the interview. A quiet, well-lit spot is ideal for a hassle-free experience.

The candidate should make sure that he/she is aware of the time during the interview. Since most questions are time-sensitive in nature, it is always a good idea to have an eye on the clock.

On-demand interviews are thus a great way to achieve increased efficiency. This is especially useful for campus interviews where recruiters can reduce the initial manpower hours for conducting face-to-face interviews. If you’re a recruiter planning to implement one-way interviewing to streamline your recruitment funnel, look no further. Get a free demo today!